Traditional Italian Spaghetti Sauce

Why This Traditional Italian Spaghetti Sauce Works

As the onion and garlic sit in the hot olive oil, they slowly soften and lose their sharp bite. They start to taste sweeter, and the oil picks up their taste and spreads it through the whole pot. When the chopped tomatoes go in, the heat breaks them down. Their juices come out, and they start to fall apart into the oil, onions, and garlic instead of staying as firm chunks.

After the tomato paste, water, herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper are stirred in, the long simmer does most of the work. Over time, the water gently cooks the tomatoes until they are very soft. The sauce thickens as some of the water cooks off and the tomato paste swells and blends in. With low heat and a long simmer, the tomatoes don’t burn on the bottom; they just slowly cook down into a smooth, steady sauce. Near the end, the fresh basil goes in so it stays bright and doesn’t turn dark or bitter from too much heat.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the onions and garlic brown too much at the start can throw the whole sauce off. Once they go past soft and lightly golden, they turn bitter and that sharp taste spreads through the liquid as it simmers, so the finished sauce ends up harsh instead of mellow.

Adding the fresh basil leaves too early in the simmer causes them to darken and lose their fresh, green taste. The leaves break down into little dull specks, and instead of bright basil at the end, the sauce just looks muddy and flat.

Keeping the heat too high during the long simmer often leads to a scorched bottom. The tomato solids stick to the pan, form dark burnt patches, and as the sauce is stirred, those burnt bits mix in and give the whole pot a slightly burnt smell and grainy texture.

Skipping the tomato paste or using much less than called for leaves the sauce thin and watery. The tomatoes alone don’t give enough body, so even after an hour of cooking, the sauce can slide off the pasta instead of clinging to it.